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Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Congress Adjourns With Populist Victories

CONGRESS ADJOURNS WITH POPULIST VICTORIES

By Rev. Ted Pike
16 Aug 10

Democrats departed Congress last week empty-handed of passage of two of the highest priority items on the Obama “hate crimes” wish list: The Employment Non-Discrimination Act and repeal of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy towards homosexuals. ENDA would have forced employers to hire and not fire homosexuals, forcing businesses to allow male employees “transitioning” into women access to female restroom facilities. DADT repeal would empower homosexuals in the military to boldly proclaim their sexual orientation and, if “married,” have all the rights and benefits of heterosexual couples.

Liberal Democrats and the homosexual media have been intensely playing the “blame game” for these failures, criticizing prolonged healthcare debate, unfaithful Democrat leadership, lack of spirited homosexual activism, even Republican obstructionism. The truth is that both these bills have been brought forward much too late, much too close to expected voter backlash against Democrats in midterm elections. Put simply, Democrat leadership, fearing judgment in November, is very uncomfortable promoting them at this time.

Even the ever optimistic homosexual defender, Rep. Barney Frank is now apparently silent of hopes for an ENDA vote when Congress reconvenes in September. Sen. Carl Levin however, plans, with other Democrat leaders, for a fast DADT repeal vote in the Senate next month. However, if Democrat leadership could not make priority of such a vote during the last several weeks, it will be even less to its advantage to do so in the fall, with voter revenge only weeks away.

Clearly, unless we see Democrat triumph in November, ENDA is dead. DADT repeal may be dying but could revive.

It is still a good idea to remind your members of Congress not to vote for it. In fact, it may become urgently necessary in mid-September to bombard Congress with objections. NPN will keep you posted.

But for the moment, there can be little doubt that the momentum behind these very aggressive, controversial, pro-homosexual bills has largely declined. If both are vanquished, it will increase to four defeated hate and bias crimes bills inspired by the Anti-Defamation League in this Congress. ADL’s cyber-bullying bill “The Megan Meier Cyber-bullying Prevention Act,” H.R. 6123, was defeated in the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime this spring. It would have made a federal hate criminal of any student, teacher, even parent whose criticism of a homosexual student caused “emotional distress” sufficient to disincline them to attend a student function. ADL’s similar “AWARE Act” (Adolescent Web Awareness Requires Education), H.R. 3630, companion to the cyber-bullying bill, authorized a pervasive, homosexual-friendly educational program in all public schools in America from kindergarten through college. It was defeated at the same hearing.

Despite widespread publicity and analysis by NPN, leadership of the Christian/conservative Right did not alert against these two very dangerous anti-family bills. There was a simple reason: all “cyber-bullying” legislation is so conspicuously generated by ADL that they were afraid to attack the legislative agenda of a venerable Jewish “civil liberties” group and risk being called “anti-Semitic.” The National Prayer Network galvanized heavy calling to House Judiciary Republicans, forewarning and energizing Rep. Louis Gohmert to summon expert witnesses. After hearing their augmentation, even Democrat committee chairman Bobby Scott and ADL's own star witness had to agree that the cyber-bullying bill lacked Constitutional merit (See, Cyberbullying Hearing Goes Badly for Liberals! and Media Mocks Cyberbullying Bill.)

Although the Right suffered crushing defeats by passage of the economic stimulus bill, the healthcare reform bill, and the federal hate crimes bill, the possible defeat of four ADL hate bills should provide renewed optimism and energy to all lovers of freedom. Now more than ever, the familiar defeatist whine that “there is nothing we can do” or that “there’s not a nickel’s worth of difference between the Democrats and Republicans - vote all the bums out!” has become prehistoric. Despite liberals in the Republican Party, the majority of Republicans stood firm against most of the Obama legislative agenda in this Congress. With rare exceptions, all Democrats supported it. Possible defeat of four major hate crimes bills, largely made possible by Republicans, affirms the general advantage of electing Republicans rather than Democrats. It also proves that vigorous use of the legislative process, rejecting fatalism or even violent revolution, is still the best mechanism for political renewal.

Let lovers of freedom pause and savor these victories. Then take revenge where it properly should occur, against Democrats in the polling places in November!